Sara Swaty

Photographer

www.sara-swaty.com

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I began photographing Colette i...placement therapy. October 2016

I began photographing Colette in 2015 on her journey to transitioning from male to female. She has been taking estrogen as part of hormone replacement therapy. October 2016

Colette picks up her estrogen h...om her apartment. December 2015

Colette picks up her estrogen hormones from a clinic in Hollywood, walking distance from her apartment. December 2015

Coletteâ€™s boyfriend injects h...remained friends. December 2015

Coletteâ€™s boyfriend injects her with estrogen in their shared apartment. They ended their romantic relationship in 2016 but remained friends. December 2015

Colette shares a joint with her... their apartment. December 2015

Colette shares a joint with her boyfriend and friend in their apartment. December 2015

Colette and her boyfriend shari... intimate moment. December 2015

Colette and her boyfriend sharing an intimate moment. December 2015

Colette in a nearby garden. December 2015

Colette, October 2016

Javi, Coletteâ€™s boyfriend, ch...gmentation procedure. June 2019

Javi, Coletteâ€™s boyfriend, checks her eye for debris before her breast augmentation procedure. June 2019

Colette opens the drawers of va...o the operating room. June 2019

Colette opens the drawers of various breast implants to inspect different sizes while waiting for the surgeon to take her into the operating room. June 2019

Coletteâ€™s nurse and surgeon p...plants and incisions. June 2019

Coletteâ€™s nurse and surgeon prepare her for surgery after sketching the size of the implants and incisions. June 2019

A nurse removes stitches at Col...gmentation procedure. June 2019

A nurse removes stitches at Coletteâ€™s follow up appointment one week after her breast augmentation procedure. June 2019

A nurse demonstrates a series o... breast augmentation. June 2019

A nurse demonstrates a series of stretches and warns her to avoid any strenuous physical activity after her breast augmentation. June 2019

Colette gets dressed after her ...ne hour appointments. July 2019

Colette gets dressed after her doctorâ€™s appointment in Beverly Hills. She takes the 4-hour round trip bus ride from her subsidized apartment in downtown Los Angeles for one hour appointments. July 2019

Colette, December 2015

Javi and Colette share an intim...their apartment roof. June 2019

Javi and Colette share an intimate moment on their apartment roof. June 2019

Colette lightly supports her br...e breast augmentation June 2019

Colette lightly supports her breasts to ease the pain caused by the breast augmentation June 2019

Colette, January 2019

Colette dances down the street ...she used to live. February 2017

Colette dances down the street in Hollywood where she used to live. February 2017

In the garden, December 2015

Colette, October 2016

Colette waits for the nurse at ... breast augmentation. July 2019

Colette waits for the nurse at her second check up appointment a few weeks after her breast augmentation. July 2019

Samskaras are marks that are im... lateral femoral condyle."

Samskaras are marks that are imprinted in the mind and body. Muscles retain their own memories until the power of consciousness is able to overrride them. One can either be victim to their own samskaras or embrace life's challenges.

â€œThere is appearance consistent with chronic laterally dislocated and hypoplastic patella. The patella is also superiorly displaced relative to normal position. The patellar cartilage is poorly deformed/thin as well as exhibiting irregular contour and heterogeneous signal particularly at the zone of contact between the poorly defined medial portion of the patella and the anterolateral aspect of the lateral femoral condyle."

Since my birth, my father would...;nbsp;I did yoga every morning.

Since my birth, my father would conduct photo shoots of my yoga practice and therapeutic setups to send to his guru, BKS Iyengar, to ask for guidance and notes about what steps to take to increase my mobility. I did yoga every morning.

Graston Technique  The... distract myself. December 2016

Graston Technique
The Graston is a powerful metal tool that breaks up scar tissue and fascial restrictions. Itâ€™s an incredibly painful process. I tried to use photography as a way to distract myself.

December 2016

It is not an easy journey learn...self-care practice. April 2020.

It is not an easy journey learning to love some parts of oneâ€™s self. Working on my self-care practice.

April 2020.

A doctor draws where my kneecap...rect model of a knee. June 2017

A doctor draws where my kneecap and muscles actually are to indicate where they should be alongside a medically correct model of a knee.

June 2017

Samskaras are marks that are im...hat I used to loathe. July 2016

Samskaras are marks that are imprinted in the mind and body. Muscles retain their own memories until the power of consciousness is able to override them. One can either be victim to their own samskaras or embrace life's challenges. Living with this chronic physical mobility issue for my entire life has taken a big toll mentally and physically, but through the process of documentation, Iâ€™ve began embracing the things that I used to loathe.

July 2016

25 Degrees

Bending my knee to its fullest extent requires a great deal of force.

The right leg works to help the left.

January 2016

As much as I will myself to ris...k to leave this space. May 2020

As much as I will myself to rise each morning, some days I am too weak to leave this space.

May 2020

LED Light Therapy Post massage ...edite the healing process. 2015

LED Light Therapy

Post massage healing light. LED light is said to penetrate deep into muscle tissues to expedite the healing process.

2015

X Ray
2015

May 2020

Ultrasound A regenerative healt...sely where the kneecap is. 2015

Ultrasound

A regenerative health specialist conducts an ultrasound of my knee to identify precisely where the kneecap is.

2015

After a surgeon sketched a quad...gical procedure on my leg. 2015

After a surgeon sketched a quadricep lengthening surgery and patella re-alignment surgical procedure on my leg.

2015

Cupping Applying the suction cu...to my quadriceps. February 2017

Cupping

Applying the suction cups was simple, but a novel experience. Using the pump vacuum for the first time made my stomach turn as the skin immediately puffed up, slightly discolored. I looked down and saw an alien landscape of raised skin valleys and bumps, odd cups moving blood into my quadriceps.

February 2017

Aftermath When I first began ge...and what areas needs more work.

Aftermath
When I first began getting deep tissue massage, my leg was peppered with bruises of all shapes, sizes, and colors. The landscape of browns, purples, yellows, and oranges was disturbing at first, but then I began to see the stories behind the marks. The body communicates through bruises, showing us which tissues and muscles are restricted and what areas needs more work.

An acupuncturist places needles...ed as I remember. February 2019

An acupuncturist places needles along my leg. When I was in high school, every Sunday afternoon my family and I went to our acupuncturist's office. My mother held my hand and read me books to distract me, my brother entertained himself in the front of the store re-organizing the Chinese statues and toys, and my father was treated just a few feet away from me, separated by a curtain. Now I go alone, and the pain isn't as bed as I remember.

February 2019

Crystal healing.